Boot-tree.



J. E. KAYE.

BOOT TREE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1.1913.

Patented July 27, 1915.

' A V x I A 4 A A INVENTOR JamesEKaye 77'0RNY WI TN E 885 S:

JAMES E. KAYE, or s'r. Louis, ivirssounr, AssIe oR T08 IN 1 SHOE s'rRETc'HER 001v:-

PANY, or s11. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A COPARTNERSHIP GOMPQSELD or J. HERMAN BRUNS, HENRY J. CUMMINGS, LEWIS J. WALLACE, AND JAMES E. KAYE, OF ST.

LOUIS, MISSOURI.

To all whom it may concern Be it known thatI, JAMES E. KAYE, a subject of the King of England, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America, have invented a certain new and useful Boot-Tree, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a boot tree and has for its object improvements in that class of boot trees such as shown in British Patent No. 7,024 of 1909, which may be used not only to stretch the shoe in length, but also to increase the width of the toe part of the shoe and the height of the same.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form of boot tree made in ac cordance with my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation on a reduced scale; Fig. 2 is a top plan view, the spindle being broken away; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2; Fig. 4 is an end view of the spindle; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the operating cam; Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modified form of cam; and Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 3.

Like marks of reference refer to similar parts in the several views of the drawings.

10 represents the body of the toe piece. Carried by the body 10 are a pair of fingers 11. These fingers 11 are pivoted to the body 10 by means of pins 12 so that the said side pieces may be moved laterally by a cam as will be hereinafter described. Arranged between the finger pieces 11 is a tongue 13 which is pivoted to the body 10 by means of a pin 14 so that the said tongue may be moved vertically. The toe piece formed by the body 10, the fingers 11 and the tongue 13 is shaped to correspond with the toe of a shoe. Each of the fingers 11 has arranged adjacent to its rear end a ball shaped spring 15, as best shown in Fig. 2. This spring 15 is secured to the block 10 and bears upon the rear end of the finger 11, so as to normally hold it in its closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the ends of the fingers will not catch in the lining of the shoe when the device is inserted into a shoe. Arranged between the fingers 11 and below the tongue Specification of Letterslatent. Application filed April 1, 1913'.

Patented July 27, 1915. Serial No. 758,086.

18 is a cam block 16. This cam block 16 has an up cam face 17 adapted to act upon the lower face of the tongue 13 when the cam block is moved forward and thus ele vate the forward end of the tongue 13 and thus raise the toe of the shoe. The cam block 16 also carries a pair of cam wings 18 which project in recess 19 formed in the lower faces of the fingers 11. When the cam block 16 is moved forward, these cam wings 18 will move the fingers 11 outwardly against the pressure of the springs 15 and thus stretch the toe of the shoe laterally.

In Fig. 6, I have shown a modification in which the cam block 17 is provided with narrow wings 20 in place of the cam wings 18. Then this form of block is used, the fingers 11 will not be operated, the narrow wings 20 merely serving to hold the block in position against accidentaldisplacement. In order to prevent the lateral movement of the cam block 16, I provide the end face of the said block with a tongue 21 which slides in a corresponding'groove 22 in a body 10 of the toe piece.

The rear end of the cam block 16 is provided with an opening 23 adapted to receive a ball 24 formed on the end of the operating spindle 25. The spindle 25 is provided at its outer end with a small threaded portion 26 in front of which is a larger threaded portion 27. The threaded portion 26 passes through the threaded opening in the block 10 while the threaded portion 27 passes through the opening in a heel block 28. The heel block 28 is not intended to bear directly on the heel of the shoe, but is pivoted to it by means of a pin 29 and heel piece 30. This heel piece 30 is adapted to bear against a heel portion of the shoe. In order to prevent the heel piece 30 from dropping down more than a predetermined amount, the heel block 28 is provided with a face 31 forming a stop to contact with the forward end of the heel piece 30 and thus limit the downward motion of the said heel piece. In order to normally hold the heel piece 30 in its raised position, I place between the inner end of the heel piece and the stop 31 a small spring 32, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The outer end of the spindle 25 is provided with a square portion 33, as shown in Fig. 4:. This portion 33 is inserted in a corresponding opening in a hub 34: carrying the handles 35 by means of'which the spindle is rotated to separate the blocks 10 and 28 and to operate the cam block 16. In order to prevent the toe piece 10 from catching on the lining of the shoe, the said piece is slightly rounded at its forward end, as shown at 36. For the same reason, the contact faces of the block 10 and the block 28 are provided with slight bevels 37.

The operation of my device will be evident from the above description. When the spindle 35 is rotated, the blocks 10 and 28 are separated owing to the relatively faster movement of the block 28 on the large threaded portion 27. At the same time, the small threaded portion 26 will travel forward in the block 10, thus forcing the cam block 16 forward and operating either the tongue piece 13, or both the tongue piece 13 and the fingers 11, according to which form of cam is used.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a boot-tree, the combination witha toepiece, of a heel block, means for separating said parts, a heel piece pivoted to said heel block, said heel block being provided with a face forming a stop to limit the vertical movement of the forward end of said heel piece, and a spring interposed between the end of said heel piece and said face.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and aflixed my seal in the presence of the two subscribing JAS. E. KAYE. [L. s.]

Witnessses:

W. A. ALEXANDER, G. M. SHORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner' of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

